Labour MP Ben Bradshaw: I want to know will the Church sack a priest for marrying a gay partner?

I very much doubt if the hierarchy will defrock any clergy who marry. It’s a lengthy and costly exercise and given the public support of equal marriage, it would only harm the CofE even more now that it’s church attendance rate is declining even more.

Truth

I want to know …. why the f**k anyone cares WHAT ‘the church’ does! It’s a TOTAL irrelevance nowadays. The Media continues to report religious affairs (thereby awarding it far more self-importance than it could ever deserve), simply out of habit and a constant quest for ‘balance’ in reporting. A tiny proportion of the UK’s population attends church regularly. So why do we given them any credence whatsoever? I suppose 40 UNELECTED bishops, sitting in the House of Lords (part of our wonderful ‘democratic’ establishhment) is a factor too …..

Cal

They won’t be able to sack anyone. Surely there would be legal comeback. The church is protected against having to marry anyone but surely they have to follow employment law.

Rumbelow

I thoroughly disapprove of the anti-gay discrimination from the established church but can sort of understand the church refusing to perform religious same sex marriages. I don’t quite see how the Anglican church can prevent Anglican clergy from entering into a same sex civil marriage, I suggest it would be direct discrimination territory if they sacked a civilly married gay clergyman(employee) when they would not sack any married straight clergyman (employee).

CHBrighton

It’s time for this institution to be disestablished.

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